The Green Bay Packers' work in free agency did little to fix their most concerning areas of need.
Is Javon Hargrave an upgrade on Colby Wooden? Absolutely. Benjamin St-Juste over Nate Hobbs? Potentially. Zaire Franklin versus Quay Walker? We'll see. Even if all three outperform their predecessors, the Packers still need reinforcements at cornerback, edge-rusher, defensive tackle, and across the offensive line.
Without a first-round pick, it won't be easy for the Packers to fix everything in the draft, but they could take a significant step toward doing so if the pieces fall into place. This four-round mock draft presents a potential dream scenario for general manager Brian Gutekunst.
Packers mock draft is a dream haul at three positions of need
Round 2 (52): Chris Johnson, CB, San Diego State
Signing Benjamin St-Juste to replace Nate Hobbs made sense, but the Packers still desperately require help at cornerback. St-Juste will likely be a rotational piece in the secondary, a role he thrived in for the Los Angeles Chargers last season. That leaves an opening for a starter on the outside.
San Diego State's Chris Johnson has received first-round buzz from some draft analysts, while others have him falling to Day 2. The Packers will hope it's the latter, because landing Johnson would be the best-case scenario.
Johnson is coming off an outstanding final season for the Aztecs, recording nine pass defenses and four interceptions, returning two for touchdowns. He earned Pro Football Focus' third-best coverage grade among 897 cornerbacks, while his overall grade ranked second at the position.
Per PFF, quarterbacks throwing Johnson's way completed only 18 passes with zero touchdowns and four interceptions for an ugly 16.1 passer rating.
Add in his show-stealing performance at the NFL Scouting Combine, which helped him earn an elite 9.82 Relative Athletic Score, and it's easy to see why Johnson to Green Bay would be a dream scenario.
Round 3 (84): Gracen Halton, DL, Oklahoma
The Packers' work along the defensive line is far from over. They started by trading away Colby Wooden and signing two-time Pro Bowler Javon Hargrave, who can be a difference-maker in Jonathan Gannon's system. Green Bay improved up front but still lacks depth on the interior.
Gracen Halton falling to No. 84 would be a dream come true for the Packers. Gutekunst would probably sprint from Green Bay to Pittsburgh to announce the pick himself. Halton currently sits 75th on the consensus board, which could surprisingly put him in the Packers' range in the third round.
Gutekunst loves players who perform well at the Senior Bowl and, according to Justin Melo of NFL Draft On SI, Halton was "borderline unstoppable" in Mobile, Alabama.
Halton was an elite run defender for the Sooners. Last season, his 86.9 PFF run-defense grade ranked 14th among 887 interior linemen. He can rush the passer, too, with his 76.9 pass-rush grade ranking 42nd.
The Packers could transform their defensive line by pairing Halton with Hargrave and Devonte Wyatt. All three can generate interior pressure — Halton made 8.5 sacks in his final two seasons for Oklahoma.
Micah Parsons would be the biggest winner. The Packers need to support him up front, and adding Halton and Hargrave could be game-changing.
Round 4 (120): Jalen Farmer, OL, Kentucky
The Packers have maintained the status quo along the offensive line by re-signing Sean Rhyan and restructuring Aaron Banks' contract. However, this team is crying out for depth and competition. Rasheed Walker and Elgton Jenkins have departed, leaving the depth chart paper-thin.
Like with Halton, two things stand out about Kentucky's Jalen Farmer that will undoubtedly have the Packers' attention: His athleticism and Senior Bowl performance.
Gutekunst cares about both. Farmer's Relative Athletic Score is an elite 9.84 out of 10, and he was one of the standout offensive linemen at the Senior Bowl.
"If you love guards who eat nails and bend steel, you're in luck," writes Kyle Crabbs of A to Z Sports. "This is one physical mauler of a guard. Farmer is a blast to watch physically impose his will at the line of scrimmage; he does so with both heavy hands, core strength, and lower body power."
Farmer is outstanding in the run game, an area where the Packers struggled last season. He is still developing as a pass-protector, but the Kentucky product has the talent to start early in his NFL career. Farmer could immediately compete with Anthony Belton at right guard and, at the very least, provide much-needed depth in his rookie season.